Various call processing systems have been developed over the years to provide automated calling functionality, including call routing, call completion, call monitoring, and call billing. Many such call processing systems benefit from the use of call information obtained from a calling party, a called party, and/or the communication network in order to provide calling functionality as desired. For example, in order to provide automated completion of a collect telephone call (a call for which the charges are reversed to the called party), billing name and number (BNA) information may be obtained from a system coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), such as through the use of a line information database (LIDB). Similarly, rates charged for a long distance call may be determined using dialed number information, such as through use of North American telephone numbering system (NATNS) telephone numbering conventions (e.g., NPA-NXX number analysis).
Call processing systems providing call processing with respect to certain environments may be particularly sensitive to availability/accuracy of one or more aspects of call information. For example, a call processing system providing calling services to a prison facility, or other controlled environment facility (e.g., camp, nursing home, school, hospital, etcetera), may utilize call information to make determinations regarding the propriety of completing a call. Calling services from a prison facility may comprise a prisoner privilege which is closely regulated and monitored, such as to prevent harassing phone calls, fraud, and the commission of crimes. Accordingly, call processing systems providing prison facility calling services may experience increased overhead associated with providing the services and, thus, demand a premium rate.
Changes in the communication network and protocols (e.g., development of a location routing number (LRN) scheme) have introduced issues with respect to information available to call processing systems for use in processing calls. The development of wireless telephones (e.g., cellular, personal communication services (PCS) mobile telephones, or other digital or analog based wireless communication systems) may facilitate arbitrage where rating based upon dialed number information is used. For example, a family member of an inmate may purchase a wireless telephone having a number (NPA-NXX) that is local to a prison in which the inmate is incarcerated. This wireless telephone may be transported to another area, e.g., another state, in which the family member resides, to allow the inmate to make calls to the family member which are charged as local calls. Such a scheme allows the inmate and/or family member to avoid paying rates calculated to compensate the calling service provider for their investment in the specialized equipment and services required in providing calling services to such a facility.
Wireless telephones further present issues with respect to automated completion of collect calls. For example, reversing of charges to a wireless telephone as a called number is typically not permitted by wireless service providers. Moreover, BNA information is typically not available with respect to wireless telephones through typical means, such as the aforementioned LIDB. Accordingly, call processing systems providing call processing with respect to certain environments, such as a prison facility, may be unable to obtain useful call information, such as to determine if the dialed number is associated with an individual the calling party is to be prevented from calling (e.g., harassing phone call to a victim or judge).
Local number portability (LNP) also presents issues with respect to information available to call processing systems for use in processing calls. For example, a prepaid account may be established for calls placed to a particular wireline telephone number and a call rate established for calls placed to that telephone number based upon location. Additionally, a payment history may be established with respect to the telephone number, and therefore a call processing system may relax or omit one or more validation operations when calls are placed to that telephone number. However, with LNP, that telephone number may be subsequently utilized at a different location and/or with a different service (e.g., wireless rather than wireline service). Such a change may incur a different rate and/or involve different restrictions (e.g., preventing calls placed to particular locations or using particular services) which may remain unrealized where the call processing system relies on the dialed number.